Posted on 09/12/2010 5:13:17 PM PDT by pastorbillrandles
There was a certain man in Caesarea called Cornelius, a centurion of the band called the Italian band,A devout man, and one that feared God with all his house, which gave much alms to the people, and prayed to God alway.He saw in a vision evidently about the ninth hour of the day an angel of God coming in to him, and saying unto him, Cornelius.And when he looked on him, he was afraid, and said, What is it, Lord? And he said unto him, Thy prayers and thine alms are come up for a memorial before God.And now send men to Joppa, and call for one Simon, whose surname is Peter:He lodgeth with one Simon a tanner, whose house is by the sea side: he shall tell thee what thou oughtest to do.(Acts 10:1-6)
At the center of the book of Acts are three conversion stories, the Ethiopian Eunich, Saul of Tarsus, and that of Cornelius, the roman centurion. Each corresponds to one of Noah’s three sons, out of whom every family on earth has come. The Ethiopian would be a son of Ham, Cornelius of Japheth, and finally Saul of Shem. God so loves the world.
There are many valuable truths in the story of the conversion of Cornelius, that I wold love to glean from for this study. But first an overview of the story itself…
Cornelius was as good a man as you could find, in that time or in any. He was one of those gentiles who was attracted to the God of Israel. Though he was an officer in an occupying gentile army, he could see that Israel’s religion was the true religion, and thus became a worshipper, though not a Jewish convert.
The technical term for those gentiles who could see that what Israel had was right, was “God Fearer”. Cornelius kept regular hours of prayer, fastings, he gave generous alms for the poor of Israel, and led his household to do also. As far as he was able, He loved God and sought him, but He was not yet saved.
This is the first point of interest I wish to highlight in this story. Cornelius needed to be saved, in spite of all of his good and meritorious deeds. "There is none rightoeus, no not one".An Angel was dispatched to him during a set time of prayer and fasting with the message that his prayers and Almsgiving had ascended as a memorial to God.
This did not indicate that God considered him righteous in His sight, for we know from Romans, that by the deeds of the law shall no flesh be justified in His sight… rather it means that God saw that this man was truly seeking Him, God noticed and regarded this man’s search for salvation.
But Cornelius would need to receive the Word of God’s gospel in order to be saved. There can be no salvation without the Word of the cross of Jesus, His resurrection,and the remission of sin. This is what the story of Cornelius tells us.
What did the Angel say to Him? It comes out progressively in Acts 10 and 11, because the story of the Angelic visitation is told several times with more detail each time.
The narrator of Acts tells us that the Angel assured Him that God had noticed his sincere seeking, so He told him where to find the apostle Peter, and to send for Him.
Verses 30-32 of Acts 10 adds the details that the angel came to him during a period of fastings and prayers, and that Peter shall speak to thee.
And Cornelius said, Four days ago I was fasting until this hour; and at the ninth hour I prayed in my house, and, behold, a man stood before me in bright clothing,And said, Cornelius, thy prayer is heard, and thine alms are had in remembrance in the sight of God.Send therefore to Joppa, and call hither Simon, whose surname is Peter; he is lodged in the house of one Simon a tanner by the sea side: who, when he cometh, shall speak unto thee. (Acts 10:30-32)
But when Peter related the whole story back to the elders in Jerusalem, he added the detail that Cornelius was told that Peter would tell him “Words whereby he and his household would be saved”
Two more things stand out in this narrative;
* Men are saved by hearing Words- In spite of Cornelius’ alms and prayers, he still needed to hear the gospel to be saved. God has chosen the foolishness of preaching to save those who believe. Romans 10 tells us “Faith cometh by hearing and hearing by the Word of God”.
Was it not by listening to the word of the serpent that man was lost? It has pleased God that the way for men to be saved, is by listening to the preaching of the gospel of Jesus Christ. And the hearing their goes beyond listening, it involves the believing reception of the good report.
*Finally, Angels don't preach the gospel currently, we do- Angels are God's messengers, but this angel left the message up to Peter. The angel could have told Cornelius all that he needed to be saved, but God has reserved that priviledge for you and I! We are the witnesses God would use to save the lost sons of Shem, Ham, and Japheth. Go into all the world and preach the gospel...
more on this later
Thanks for the post. Your two final paragraphs are especially challenging.
Glory to God in the Highest!!
Jesus is KIng!!!
The Centurion is one of the more fascinating characters int he New Testament, and his story is even more interesting when one studies the hisotry of that period and the things Pilate did prior to his infamy with the trial of Jesus.
As always, your post is thought provoking and illuminates rich details which I have read over, but missed. In this case, the silence of the angel in communicating the Gospel, a mission which was charged to Peter instead. From that point, the unique task and honor assigned to believers in carrying out the Great Commission.
Each corresponds to one of Noah’s three sons, out of whom every family on earth has come. The Ethiopian would be a son of Ham, Cornelius of Japheth, and finally Saul of Shem.
But you know, I think you are exactly right. Excellent observation.
Thanks so much for posting this .
Thoughts?
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"* Men are saved by hearing Words- In spite of Cornelius’ alms and prayers, he still needed to hear the gospel to be saved. God has chosen the foolishness of preaching to save those who believe. Romans 10 tells us “Faith cometh by hearing and hearing by the Word of God”.
Was it not by listening to the word of the serpent that man was lost? It has pleased God that the way for men to be saved, is by listening to the preaching of the gospel of Jesus Christ. And the hearing their goes beyond listening, it involves the believing reception of the good report."
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The Bible indicates that man was lost because he sinned, ie. he acted upon the serpent's words. He wasn't sinning just because he heard his words.
Likewise, man is not saved just from hearing the words of the gospel. After all, Paul spoke the gospel to many people, not a few of whom refused to believe (Acts 28:24 for instance). As you know, the scriptures say:
1 Tim 2:14 And Adam was not deceived, but the woman being deceived, fell into transgression.
Eve didn't sin because she heard, but because she believed in what the serpent told her (that she would not die), and acted accordingly (by taking the fruit). So it seems that one hears the word, but commits sin by believing and acting upon that word.
In like manner, man is saved not by hearing only, but by believing and acting upon the words heard. One must not only hear the gospel (Rom. 10:17), but believe it (John 8:24; Rom. 1:16), confess Christ as the Son of the Living God (Matt. 16:16-18; Rom. 10:9-10), and repent and be baptized according to the preaching of Jesus and the apostles (Mark 16:16; Acts 2:38). All this is in accordance with the scripture's admonition that Jesus became the author of salvation for all those who obey Him (Heb. 5:9).
For after that in the wisdom of God the world by wisdom knew not God, it pleased God by the foolishness of preaching to save them that believe.
I am not saying anything more or less than Paul said in I Corinthians, that it is through the spoken Word of God that God has chosen to bring the saving knowledge of Jesus Christ to us. Of course men have to respond to it, that is obvious.
What was the question you had?
You wrote:
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Adam began sinning from the moment he gave heed to the serpent.
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Doesn't Paul say that it was Eve who was deceived, and then sinned (1 Tim. 2:14)? Adam was not deceived, Paul said.
So apparently, we do not know that Adam "gave heed" to the serpent's words, but rather Eve did. He simply acted contrary to God's command not to eat of the tree. He wasn't deceived by the serpent's words, but he disobeyed God.
Given these facts, does it seem to you that the fall of man was centered upon the rejection of God's will, not necessarily upon the hearing of the serpent's words?
You also wrote:
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I am not saying anything more or less than Paul said in I Corinthians, that it is through the spoken Word of God that God has chosen to bring the saving knowledge of Jesus Christ to us. Of course men have to respond to it, that is obvious.
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That was exactly my question. Men are required to respond to the gospel. Hearing it and believing it are not enough (John 12:42), man must act according to God's commands.
Thanks!
He stood right there wwith her, and partook of the rebellion. Romans 5:12 tells us that sin came into the world by Adam, not Eve. Adam at least listened to his wife- (This is what God charged him with in Genesis 3) who listened to the serpent. Definitely the fall of man was about the rejection of God's will, but it was occassioned by the seduction of the serpent.
I am not promoting faith without corresponding works, I am merely commenting on the words of the Angel in Acts 10-11-"He shall tell thee words whereby you may be saved"
14Who shall tell thee words, whereby thou and all thy house shall be saved. 15And as I began to speak, the Holy Ghost fell on them, as on us at the beginning.
Nine siblings? Wow, sounds like a farm family. We have lots of those where I'm from. :)
The7ones is in reference to Ephesians 4:4-6. I believe strongly in the biblical call for Christian unity and purity of the faith.
You also said:
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Definitely Adam gave heed to the serpent- And when the woman saw that the tree was good for food, and that it was pleasant to the eyes, and a tree to be desired to make one wise, she took of the fruit thereof, and did eat, and gave also unto her husband with her; and he did eat.
He stood right there wwith her, and partook of the rebellion. Romans 5:12 tells us that sin came into the world by Adam, not Eve. Adam at least listened to his wife- (This is what God charged him with in Genesis 3) who listened to the serpent. Definitely the fall of man was about the rejection of God's will, but it was occassioned by the seduction of the serpent.
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I agree that scriptures teach that sin came into the world by Adam, as the head of that first family. We notice that Paul says, though, that Adam was not deceived. This leads us to two ways of looking at Adam's sin. The choices:
1. Adam was with Eve and heard the serpent's words, but did not believe them (was not deceived), but chose to disobey anyway.
2. Adam was with Eve and did not hear the serpent's words, but knew God's command about the tree. He took the fruit Eve offered him anyway in full knowledge that it was wrong.
3. Adam was not in the immediate vicinity with Eve, but was close enough that should could go over and offer the fruit.
I believe that #3 is not such a good choice. And if #2 were true, the outcome would be the same. Apparently, though, Adam witnessed the exchange between Eve and the serpent, because the context implies it. So in my understanding, Adam heard the serpent's words to Eve, but was not tricked by them. Nevertheless, he chose to disobey.
That being the case, Adam did not heed the words of the serpent (did not believe his words), but transgressed God's command anyway. His motive wasn't believing the serpent's words that they would not die, contrary to God's words. Rather, his sin was just blatantly choosing the wrong path, even when he knew better! Eve sinned because she was deceived and therefore chose to transgress in her lust for the forbidden fruit. Adam sinned because he merely desired to eat the forbidden fruit, whether it was from seeing Eve's example or just on his own motivation. Either way, God's command was spurned, and thus sin.
I agree with you, that the Bible teaches that Adam "heeded the voice of your wife" (Gen. 3:17). He followed her example, without any questions. He gave over the spiritual leadership to his wife (a sin which continues in man to this day).
You also stated:
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I am not promoting faith without corresponding works, I am merely commenting on the words of the Angel in Acts 10-11-"He shall tell thee words whereby you may be saved"
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I wholeheartedly agree that the preaching of the gospel is how man is saved (Rom. 1:16). My only concern was that a passerby may mistake what you were really saying for the idea that man is not responsible to act upon the demands of the gospel upon the lives of men and women, ie. to take up our crosses and follow Him.
Thanks! I'll keep an eye on this thread and see where it goes from here. May God bless you!
Thanks Seven Ones- I like the concept and see where you are coming from- God bless you-Pas Bill
The word of God also says no man seeks God.. Rom 3:11 ,so no, an unsaved Cornelius was not seeking God.. Only the regenerate seek God.. If He had the fear of God in his heart it shows regeneration.
OT men were saved through the enlightenment of the Holy Spirit by the Old Testament. Cornelius would have known the OT and the Law . Like those mentioned in the hall of faith he would have been looking to the promise. The fact his prayers were seen by God as a memorial before God means they were seen like the sacrifices ordered in the OT and God had approved of them .
Peter was sent as apostle to the Gentiles, so this was a time of instruction for him as well.
Act 10:34 ¶ Then Peter opened [his] mouth, and said, Of a truth I perceive that God is no respecter of persons:
He was to teach Cornelius of the fulfillment of the promise and instruct him in doctrine
No where does it say that Cornelius was saved in this encounter..It speaks that the Holy Spirit fell on all that heard the message.. so this was an occasion of the salvation of many .
**In like manner, man is saved not by hearing only, but by believing and acting upon the words heard. One must not only hear the gospel (Rom. 10:17), but believe it (John 8:24; Rom. 1:16), confess Christ as the Son of the Living God (Matt. 16:16-18; Rom. 10:9-10), and repent and be baptized according to the preaching of Jesus and the apostles (Mark 16:16; Acts 2:38). All this is in accordance with the scripture’s admonition that Jesus became the author of salvation for all those who obey Him (Heb. 5:9).**
Hey, I’ve been trying to tell these ‘believe and you’re saved’ folks that all along. Traditions of men, such as preaching salvation messages from Romans, Ephesians, etc. without the step by step message that Jesus taught his disciples to teach is a real stumblingstone for multitudes.
The epistles were written ‘to the saints’ or ‘those sanctified’ or ‘called to be saints’. They were already born again, and the epistles need to read in that context.
Luke 24:47 is a ‘repentance, and baptism in the name of Jesus for the remission of sins’ command. “And that repentance and remission of sins should be preached in his name among all nations, beginning at Jerusalem”.
As you know, in Acts 2:38, Peter begins preaching at Jerusalem commanding, “Repent, and be baptized every one of you in the name of Jesus Christ for the remission of sins.....”
PBR said: Was it not by listening to the word of the serpent that man was lost?
I say: Just listening didn’t do the damage. It was being obedient to those words that brought the curse.
Zuriel, I agree 100 percent. Good post
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